Saturday, 30 May 2015

Took this pic of a Subaru Brumby (Brat) a couple nights ago. Nice to see neat solid examples still around, while they otherwise gradually disappear (or likely for things like this.. move away to the country/farms..).

So.. I've scrolled through my phone to see if I could see any other similar shots I hadn't posted here before..

In Japan from earlier this year, and at Daikoku futo - an EF Civic hatch. Obviously a little lost in these pics, but this was on a set of rad Takechi Project Racing Hart Spinner Fins..

..also wearing a set of roof-racks (likely for different reasons!) - a late AE86 Sprinter Trueno in outer Tokyo. Classic Panda and Watnabe combination..

Late in the life of the long-running Alfa Romeo Spider.. a pretty, blue, series-3 model, in Tokyo city..

Same day, and not too far away - a neat 3rd Generation Honda Prelude. Definitely a car that is surprisingly rare in Japan..

Sunday, 24 May 2015

Came across this epic two-page advertisement in an old magazine today, and just had to share..

The ad is for a 1986 AA33S Suzuki Swift (Cultus) GTi - a ~750kg 1300cc twincam bundle of awesome.

How and why don't
I see these?! I would remember these. I would want one of these. Maybe I
confuse them with early Charade Turbo's or AE82 Twincam's in a blur as
they boom by..?
Regardless, Its not often I come across a little
80's hot-hatch I have otherwise forgotten.. and I'm am so amped that
these will be on my mind again..

..its not as if the idea of a Swift GTi is completely out of my mind.. its hard to forget about the long-running and much-loved second generation (also twincam 1300cc powered) cars; but these early ones? These first generation of Swift/Cultus ran from ~1983-1988.. but I guess the survival rate was just not quite high enough. :(

Closeup of the cutaway engine in the ad - Suzuki's G13B 1300cc twincam. The laughably-specific output of 74(.3!) kw is really very impressive for an NA 1300 in the mid 80's.

Anyway, very cool car. I'd love to see an original one in person one day.. but hell, I'd settle for a mostly-stripped one at the wreckers..! Will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled...

Saturday, 23 May 2015

Starting with an already fairly-wild flatnose Carrera 3.2 or 930 Turbo, Gemballa - a German tuner who've been doing this since 1981 - would go over entire exteriors and interiors, with a dash of enginework thrown in for good measure..

..styling wise, this isn't even as wild as they got. Even more extreme 930-based Gemballa Avalanche, Cyrrus, and Mirage included huge side intakes, very large rear wings, rear-view cameras mounted in-place of wing mirrors... aaand so on..

So yes; 'relatively-subtle' taking full advantage of being.. well.. relative.
Enough special aero and a full pearl-white repaint keeps this standing out among the 'standard' flatnose 911's..

Inside, what looks like matching pearl-white leather.. wrapped over a pair of very appropriate Recaro (idealseat) C's..

...as well as a custom console, digital gauges, and an embossed Gemballa wheel with audio controls for the high-tech Pioneer audio. CD player would've been killer when this was new..!

A little extreme for most maybe; but I promise - its an acquired taste! Enjoy the sillyness of it all.

All this could be yours for an unmentioned-amount, from the Japanese dealer listed on the plates.
Simply load up pictures on your phone of the (..many) more extreme modified Porsche's from the era of excess - to relentlessly show people 'hey, its not that bad..!'.

Friday, 15 May 2015

I had taken the opportunity to take a heap of pictures of this car, as I was stoked to see one up close. Not sure if its a grass-is-always-greener thing; but the first generation CR-X never made it to the Australian market when new, which likely on makes me want them more.

The Ballade Sports CR-X was based on the 2nd generation Honda Ballade - itself based obviously on the 3rd generation Civic. The Ballade was basically an up-spec version of the Civic, which included the pop-up headlight front-end seen on this car.
This first generation of Ballade Sports CR-X was sold as (and alongside) the Ballade as a sports variant, and ran through until 1987. The second generation although still obviously Civic based, was simply a CR-X.

The car on display in the Honda Museum was a 1983, 1.5litre car - so first year / pre-upate, and the upper of two trim levels available..

..despite being a 1.5litre car, it's fairly low with options..

..as the above brochure pages show. No sunroof, and steel wheels - which might have been a missed opportunity when those epic four-hole alloys were available..!

..still got that great check interior though..

No sunroof, but interesting little panel towards the back of the roof...

These first generation CR-X's didn't have the rad glass-panel in the lower part of the rear hatch, as seen on the second generation cars; but the otherwise neat rear end of these is still unique and easily identifiable..

I prefer the first generation CR-X's sunken, semi-covered headlights though! Unfortunately these seem to have been revised away later in the first generation CR-X's production run; replaced by a fixed, flush, headlight unit.

aaaand finishing off with two more semi-relevant brochure pictures - this time from Mugen. CF-48's, MR-5's, and an incredibly cool (9piece!?) wide-body kit!